charles lawton

Published
December 19, 2017

Charles Lawton: In Maine counties losing population, the challenge is fiscal right-sizing

Leaders in Piscataquis and elsewhere must adjust to a drastic shift in the nature of the people living there.
Published
December 12, 2017

Charles Lawton: Western Maine must create jobs, but will younger talent be there?

Overall population has declined in the rural area, but demographics point to an increase in the elderly sector.
Published
December 5, 2017

Charles Lawton: Areas with unbalanced demographics should take on 3 tasks

Maine's local and county governments should try to anticipate how to deal with changes in their population.
Published
November 28, 2017

Charles Lawton: Answers to these 3 questions should guide Maine’s public policy agenda

All our efforts are doomed to fall short without a full-scale assault on Maine's labor force problem.
Published
November 21, 2017

Charles Lawton: Changes in county populations mean more than you might think

For one, a loss of residents adds to the economic dependence of those left behind, and has an impact on public policy.
Published
November 14, 2017

Charles Lawton: Elect politicians for ability to collaborate on progress, not their stances on issues

And 'will of the people' votes are not an effective fix for self-interest government when lawmakers implement them however they see fit.
Published
October 31, 2017

Charles Lawton: Casino debate ignores the referendum monster we have created

The fundamental question is what to do with this fourth branch of government, the referendum process itself?
Published
October 24, 2017

Charles Lawton: Maine needs to dive into the pool of labor that stopped looking for a job

That resource offers the most workers, but to tap into it requires fundamental changes by employers and educators.
Published
October 17, 2017

Charles Lawton: Maine’s health care sector cannot replace manufacturing losses

The nearly offsetting effect of job gains and losses is not distributed evenly across the state.
Published
October 10, 2017

Charles Lawton: With elections looming, ignore the noise and read these two essays

Take a step back and consider the role that involved citizens play in our representative democracy.